Civil War Washington

CASE 10.—Deafness; muscular twitchings; rose-colored eruption; abdomen tender, scaphoid; improvement after the second week.—Private William Patterson, Co. K, 6th Wis.; age 28; was admitted Oct. 2, 1861, with typhoid fever. The condition of the patient is not stated until six days after admission, when his pulse was weak and compressible, 110; countenance haggard; cheeks sunken; eyes suffused; tongue slightly coated brown and very dry and fissured, as the mouth was open much of the time; he was very deaf and difficult to arouse; he spoke with much effort, and had exquisite tenderness in the epigastric and right iliac regions and spasmodic twitchings of the arms. Whiskey-punch was given every hour. Next day the eruption appeared over the abdomen and the tenderness was very much lessened; sinapisms were applied where the tenderness had been acute. The abdomen became scaphoid on the 10th, the tongue clean and very red, the face much sunken and the eyes suffused and surrounded by dark areolæ; pulse 104; the patient had much thirst, cough and hurried respiration. Next day the countenance was more natural and the tongue moist. On the 12th the expression was better, the eyes clearer, and there was less epigastric and umbilical pain. The sinapisms were repeated on this day. After this the patient gradually improved, although for some days the skin continued dry and husky, the bowels somewhat relaxed, about two thin stools daily, and the right iliac region slightly tender. On November 1, when he was transferred to Annapolis, Md., his pulse was natural, appetite good and bowels regular.